Traction-wheel.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MERRIOK E. PERRING, OF MAROELLUS, MICHIGAN.

TRAC 'IION-WHEEL.

Application filed August 3, 1907.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MERRICK E. PERRING, a citizen of the United States,.residing at Marcellus, in the county of Cass and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Traction- Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traction wheels and its object is to provide a device of this character having blades projecting beyond the rim of the wheel and designed to bite into the surface of the ground so as to prevent the wheel from slipping.

A still further object is to provide a wheel of this character the blades of which can be simultaneously retracted when the wheel is traveling over a road or at any other place where it is undesirable and unnecessary to mar the surface of the ground.

' A still further object is to provide a Wheel having blades which are designed to automatically yield when subjected to more than a predetermined resistance so that should the blades come in contact with stones or other non-yielding objects they will be forced inwardly and therefore injury to the wheel or any part thereof is prevented.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully de scribed and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheel embodying the present imrovements, most of the spokes and a portion of the rim of the wheel being removed. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the actuating disk and one set of blades connected thereto. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section through a portion of a wheel embodying the present improvements.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates the hub of the wheel, the same being connected in the usual manner by spokes 2 with the broad rim 3 of the wheel. At desired intervals transverse slots 4 are formed Within the rim 3.

Secured upon the hub 1 at op os'ite sides of the center thereof are opposite y disposed caps 5 spaced apart at their adjoining edges. These caps constitute a housing for a disk 6 which is revolubly mounted on the hub and the periphery of which is located between the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Serial No. 386,918.

spaced edges of the caps. Gear teeth 7 extend from the eriphery of said disk for about one-half the circumference thereof and these teeth project beyond the caps and are designed to be engaged by a gear 8 revolubly mounted upon a bracket 9 secured to one of the caps 5. The shaft 10 of the gear has an angular head 11 designed to be engaged by a crank 12 or other suitable device whereby the gear can be conveniently rotated to actuate the disk 6. A dog 13 is loosely mounted on the shaft 10 and is held by a spring 14 normally in engagement with the toothed portion of disk 6.

Extending from each face of the disk 6 are similar eccentrically disposed ribs 15 which lap as indicated in Fig. 2, the outer ends of the ribs being disposed at equal distances apart. The ribs upon the two faces of the disks are similarly placed.

Located within the caps 5 at regular intervals are pairs of openings 16 and each pair of openings is designed to receive rods 17, the

mner ends of which have inwardly extending forks 18 each of which is designed to engage one of the ribs 15. Rods 17 are rigidly connected as indicated at 19 and 20 by means of cross plates and these lates constitute guides for a stem 21. A b ade 22 is located at the outer end of the stem and slidably mounted within one of the slots 4. A coiled spring 23 surrounds that ortion of the stem between the guides 19 anc 20 and one end of the spring is secured to the stem so that whenthe blade 22 is pushed toward the hub 1 the spring 23 is placed under tension. An opening 24 is formed within the stem close to guide 19 and is designed to receive a locking pin 25 whereby inward movement of the stem 21 may be prevented if desired. A cross rod 26 connects rods 17 at points near the caps 5 and pivotally mounted on these rods are oppositely extending pairs of metal strips 27. The strips of each pair are connected by cross plates 28 constituting guides for stems 29. Blades 80 are located at the outer ends of these stems and are designed to project through slots 4 in the rim 3. Coiled springs 31 are mounted upon the stems 29 between plates 28 and each spring is fastened at one end to its stem so that when the blade 30 is pressed inward toward the hub 1 the spring will be laced under tension.

It is 0 course to be understood that a number of sets of blades 22 and 30 are used in connection with the wheel, all of said blades being so disposed that one blade 22 or 30 is located within each slot 4,

When it is desired to project all the blades 22 and 30 so that the wheel will not slip while rotating crank 12 is placed on shaft and dog 13 is disengaged from the teeth 7.

Gear 8 is-then rotated and disk 6 turned onehalf a revolution. This will cause the eccentrically arranged ribs 15 to simultaneously push the rods 17 outward and all of the blades 22 and will therefore be projected beyond the periphery of rim 3 and will bite into the surface of the ground. Should one or more of the blades strike a non-yielding object they will be pressed inward and cause their springs to become tensioned. As soon as the object is passed the springs will return the blades to their initial positions. This arrangement is particularly desirable for use upon stony ground. If the wheel is used on sandy soil all of the blades can be locked while projected by inserting pins 25 into the various stems 21 and 29. When the wheel is traveling over a road or at any other place where it is undesirable to have the blades bite into the surface of the round all of the blades can be simultaneously shifted to bring their outer edges flush with the periphery of the rim, by turning disk 6 so that the ribs 15 will simultaneously pull the rods 17 inwardly. It is of course to be understood that the dog 13 is placed in engagement with teeth 7 immedlately subsequent to the adjustment of disk 6 so that accidental movement of the disk will be prevented. In order that the movement of the forks 18 upon ribs 15 may be limitedlaterally extending stops 15 are preferably arranged at the ends of the ribs as shown in Fig. 2.

What is claimed is:

1. In a traction wheel the combination with a rim; of a plurality of anti-slipping devices movably connected to the rim, guides therefor, and means for simultaneously actuating the guides for retracting said devices into the rim.

2. In a traction wheel the combination with a rim; of'a plurality of spring pressed anti-slipping devices normally projecting beyond the rim, guides therefor, and means for simultaneously actuating the guides for retracting said devices into the rim.

3. In a traction wheel the combination with a rim; of a plurality of anti-slipping devices, guides therefor, yieldable means cooperating with the guides for holding said devices normally projected beyond the rim, and means for simultaneously actuating the guides for retracting said devices into the rim.

4. In a traction wheel the combination with a rim; of a plurality of anti-slipping devices, guides therefor, yieldable means cooperating with the guides for holding said devices normally projected beyond the rim,

means' for simultaneously actuating the guides for retracting said devices into the rim, and means for separately locking said devices in retracted position.

5. In a traction wheel the combination with a rim, and a plurality of anti-slipping devices extending through the rim; of guides for said devices, revoluble means for simultaneously actuating the guides for retracting or projecting said devices in relation to the rim, and means for locking said revoluble means against movement.

6. In a traction wheel the combination with a rim, a hub, and rigid connections between the hub and rim of anti-slipping devices movably connected to the rim, guides therefor, and means upon. the hub for simultaneously actuating the guides for shifting said devices inwardly or outwardly in relation to the rim.

7. In a traction Wheel the combination with a rim, a hub, and a rigid connection between the hub and rim; of a plurality of anti-slipping devices movably mounted within the rim, guides therefor, revoluble means upon the hub for simultaneously actuating the guides for projecting said devices beyond or retracting them into the rim, means for looking all of said devices in adjusted position, and separate means for locking each of the respective devices in retracted or projected position.

8. In a traction wheel the combination with a hub and a rim rigidly connected thereto; of a plurality of blades within the rim, means revoluble upon the hub for simultaneously shifting the blades radially, peripheral teeth upon said means, revoluble actu ating means engaging the teeth, and alock for said means.

9. In a traction wheel the combination with a hub and a rim rigidly connected there to; of an eccentric revolubly mounted upon the hub, a blade extending through the rim, a guide therefor, means connected to the guide and engaging and actuated by the eccentric,and means for rotating the eccentric to shift the blade radially.

10. In a traction wheel the combination with a hub and a rim rigidly connected thereto; of a revoluble series of eccentrics upon the hub, means for simultaneously rotating the eccentrics, and a series of separately depressible spring pressed blades connected to .each eccentric and disposed to be actuated thereby, all of said blades being movable radially within the rim.

11. In a traction wheel the combination with a hub and a rim rigidly connected thereto; of a revoluble series of eccentrics upon the hub, a forked device connected to each eccentric, a guide movable therewith, a blade movable Within each guide, and means for rotating the eccentrics to simultane ously actuate the guides to shift the blades cri radially, said blades being movably mounted Within the rim.

12. In a traction Wheel the combination with a hub and a rim fixedly connected thereto of an eccentric revoluble upon the hub, a forked device engaging said eccentric, means for holding said device in fixed relation to the hub, a cushioned blade connected to said device and movably mounted within the rim, and means for actuating the eccentric to shift the blade radially.

13. In a traction wheel the combination with a hub and a rim fixedly connected thereto; of an eccentric revoluble upon the hub, a forked device engaging said eccentric, means for holding said device in fixed relation to the hub, a cushioned blade connected to said device and movably mounted within the rim, blades hingedly connected to said forked device, and means for rotating the eccentric to shift the blades radially within the rim.

14. In a traction Wheel the combination with a hub and a rim rigidly connected thereto; of an eccentric revolubly mounted upon the hub, a forked device engaging the eccentric, means for holding said device in fixed relation to the hub, a cushioned blade connected to said device, cushioned blades pivotally connected to said device and extending in opposite directions therefrom, and means for rotating the eccentric to simultaneously shift the blades radially within the rim.

15. In a traction wheel the combination with a hub and a rim fixedly connected thereto; of a housing fixedly connected to the hub, an eccentric revolubly mounted within the hub, blades movably mounted within the rim, cushioning means therefor, means connecting said blades with the eccentric, and means for rotating the eccentric to simultaneously project all the blades radially within the rim.

- 16. In a traction wheel the combination with a rim; of a plurality of sets of anti-slipping devices extending through the rim, the devices of each set being pivotally connected, and revoluble means en aging one device of each set for retracting al of said devices into the rim.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aifixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

MERRICK E. PERRING.

Witnesses:

J. H. PIXLEY, IsAAo SALOMON. 

